Pathenon Film Festival returns for its fourth edition,taking place between 6 - 8 July 2018. The Parthenón Film Festival means a 3-day lasting annual cinematic art-house open-air experience in the historic environment of the panoramic situated village Parthenonas in Sithonia

The Event

The Parthenon Film Festival celebrates the art of cinematography; providing an ambitious selection of classic films from all over the world, presented at a unique location. It is an extraordinary experience for every movie aficionado.

The screening takes place on the central square of Parthenonas.

Because best things in life should be free, the admission is free for everyone.Let’s get together

"With the little kid, the leopard will lie down.The wolves with the lambs will stay together.And the little boy will lead them."

A group of children finding themselves on a shore,confronted in a situation with a whale washed on the beach.

The cinematographer Konstantina Kotzamani and the photographer Giorgos Karvelas, portray a place of religious parables and folk.

"Limbo" participated in the 55th Criticism Week of the Cannes Film Festival and won the Best Film,Direction and Photography Awards in the Greek Short Film Competition of the 22nd Athens International Film Festival "Premiere Nights". [cinemagazine.gr & flix.gr]

The 10-year-old Chihiro and her parents are heading for their new home in the suburbs when her father decides to cut her way through a deserted alley. The family is taking a wrong turn and enters unknowingly a deserted, magical town where Chihiro's parents are turned into pigs. With the help of Haku, a strange child from the town,Chihoro tries to solve the situation by treating witches,spirits and all kinds of wonders.

"Disney movies touch the heart, but Studio Ghibli's films touch the soul."It's definitely one of the reasons that anime fans around the world assure that "Journey to the Wonderland"is the best cartoon movie of all time.Spirited Away was met with universal critical acclaim."Spirited Away is a dazzling, enchanting, and gorgeouslydrawn fairy tale that will leave viewers a little morecurious and fascinated by our world [Rotten Tomatoes].The film was awarded in 2002 with the Best Animated FilmAcademy and Golden Ark at the Berlin International FilmFestival in the same year.

Donnie Darko (2001)Directed by: Richard Kelly | USA | 134'

Donny Darko is a troubled and antisocial but brilliant teenager with a vivid. One night Donnie sleepwalks out of his house to meet a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days

This unique cinematic amalgam of teenage science fictionand 80s nostalgia became a worthy reference film.Andrew Johnson cited the film in Us Weekly, as one of the outstanding films at Sundance in 2001,describing it as "a heady blend of science fiction,spirituality, and teen angst."

Accompanied by an evocative soundtrack and an avid idea,"Donnie Darko" was a filthy distillate of anxiety,obsessions and tenderness of teen years. An inverted "revolutionary without cause" dared to follow the Horn in the hole of adulthood and found, not in a Wonderland, but in that of doubt. [cinemagazine.gr]

Last Year in Marienbad is a 1961 French-Italian Left Bank film directed by Alain Resnais from a screenplay by Alain Robbe-Grillet

In a luxury hotel in the countryside, a man (X) uses all the legitimate means to persuadea married woman (A) to leave with him. The woman barely recalls the erotic story she had,or perhaps not, the previous year at Marienbad.The husband or escort (M) remains firmly and discreetly at her side, asking her every minute about her health, unaware of her feelings.

The film is famous for its enigmatic narrative structure,in which time and space are fluid, with no certainty over what is happening to the characters, what they are remembering, and what they are imagining.Last Year in Marienbad was nominated for the 1963 Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay Alain Robbe-Grillet and it was also nominated for a Hugo Award as Best Dramatic Presentation

Co-written by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, this silent film was completely composed on surrealistic principles and includes some of the most searing and memorable images ever filmed

The black and white film consists of a series of surrealistic images and absurd sceneswhich do not belong to any discernible plot - but show the same two persons -are roughly separated by subtitles("Eight years later", "Around three o'clockin the morning", "Sixteen years ago","In the spring").

The ambitions of the two associates were obviously shocking. Stunning, terrifying scenes unfold without any coherent consistency, mounted in a way that causes the viewer to get upset.It is an innovative movie poem for sex and death, where two non-conformist artists challenge the audience with a film exploring the possibilities of cinematic recording of the unconscious. [Journal "TO VIMA"]

Sunday 8 July

Spellbound (1945)Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock | USA | 111'

Spellbound is a 1945 American film noir psychological mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, considered one of the most interesting works of his filmography

Dr. Edward arrives at the ‘The Green Manors’ psychiatricclinic to replace the retired manager. But he quickly finds out that he is an unknown patientsuffering from amnesia and has taken the position of Dr. Edwards. Together they try to find the truth in the mystery of the disappearance of true Dr Edwards.

One of the most striking features of the film is the still impressive scene of the dream, designed by Salvador Dali for Alfred Hitchcock [Kathimerini newspaper]. Spellbound placed fifth on Film Daily's annual poll of 559 critics across the United States naming the best films of the year.

Context Works

In the context of the parallel actions of the Festival,the 4th "Parthenon Film Festival - Cinema in Village" will host this year the Sculpture Laboratory of the School of Fine Arts of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.During the Festival, 17 students of the School will let their dreams become transubstantiated by exposing their works in the traditional Parthenon settlement.

The location

Parthenonas is a traditional village, nested on the mount Itamos at an altitude of 350m, near the western coast close to the town Nea Marmaras. According to historical scripts, this place is inhabited since 9th century BC as the city of Parthenopolis. 10th century AC, during the Byzantine Empire the city was called Partheni or Parthenionas. The village as we know it was supposed to be found during the Ottoman Empire. Although the historic town and the today’s Pathenonas are not located at the same place.After the revolution of 1821 the settlement was invaded and plundered two times by the Turks. At the time of the liberation of Makedonia in the year 1912, the population of Parthenonas consisted out of 400 residents. In the 70tees the population left from the elevated Parthenonas to settle down in the nearby and bigger coastal city Neos Marmaras due better economical opportunities. In the 80tees the village was finally abandoned. Few years later Parthenonas was rediscovered and populated. Old houses were affectionately restored in traditional manner. Today Parthenonas is famous for its picturesque architecture and one of the most popular places in Halkidiki 1985 former residents of Parthenonas founded the cultural association ‘Parthenon’, dedicated to preserve cultural heritage and environment. The association also is responsible for the restoration of local landmarks. Latest initiatives were the restoration of the church of Saint Stephen, constructed in 1837 it is one of the oldest churches in Halkidiki as well as the restoration of the old school Parthenon, which finally was converted into a folk-museum.

Parthenonas is listed as a place of cultural heritage, protected by state and the European Union.

The History

1st Parthenón Film Festival 2015!

A new film festival makes its first steps! Three special movie nights with great classic films!

2nd Parthenώn Film Festival 2016!

Three summer open-air cinema nights in the wonderful traditional square of Parthenonas!

3rd Parthenώn Film Festival 2017!

Three special open-air cinema nights in Halkidiki, under the starry sky of Parthenonas!